The long awaited sequel to Diane Moody’s bestselling Of Windmills and War.When the war finally ended in May of 1945, Lieutenant Danny McClain made good on his promise to come back for Anya in Holland. He expected her to put up a fight, but instead found her exhausted and utterly broken. Maybe it was unfair, asking her to marry him when she was so vulnerable. But this much he knew: he would spend … vulnerable. But this much he knew: he would spend a lifetime helping to make her whole again.
The war had taken everything from Anya–her family, her friends, her home, her faith. She clung to the walls she’d fortressed around her heart, but what future did she have apart from Danny? At least she wouldn’t be alone anymore.
Or so she thought. When the American troops demobilize, Danny is sent home, forced to leave Anya behind in England. There she must wait with the other 70,000 war brides for passage to America. As England picks up the pieces of war’s debris in the months that follow, Anya shares a flat with three other war brides in London and rediscovers the healing bond of friendships.
Once again, Danny and Anya find themselves oceans apart, their marriage confined to little more than the handwritten pages of their letters while wondering if the shadow of war will ever diminish.
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Diane Moody has captured the physical, emotional and psychological wounds of war in this brilliantly written book! I should say books, the first book in the series; “The Windmills of War”, is equally brilliant! You’ll love these books and you’ll love this author as well!
This was a very excellent novel! I love to read this author’s books.
The story continues after WWII has ended. It does tell the tale of young war brides of American servicemen left behind in England and what the immediate post war life was like. However, Anya, the survivor of Dutch resistance missions is now a shell of herself. Perfectly understandable, but just not as enjoyable a read to see her as timid, needy, and shaken as she appears in the first half. Her state contributed to a dragging pace in the storyline for the first half too. One does care about the characters, and a number of new ones were introduced, so I hung in there to the end. I really enjoyed the first book, andI do plan to give the next book a try having invested time in these characters’ world as a new phase of their lives is about to begin.
The series is great. It is one you get addicted to.
This book is the sequel to “Of Windmills & War” all about what war brides had to go through to get to the US after World War II. A fictional story, but the events that happened were historically accurate. A very interesting read.
Excellent read, characters have depth and I’m so glad there story was continued in this sequel!
The story of WWII soldier Danny McClain and Dutch woman Anja includes realistic portrayal of war and all of its ramifications. Even though this book is 2nd in a series it could be read as a stand-alone. Anja has lost all of her Dutch family and struggles to even want to continue in the world in which she lives. However, in the midst of this wartime setting the two characters fall in love. Once the couple are married, the situation certainly does not become a “happily ever-after” one. Danny’s unit is moved back to the states and then Anja must patiently wait and go through the war brides’ requirements. I assume author Moody has researched the red tape that would have been required by the U.S. in this era for war brides for it seems to be very realistic. Once Danny is home, we get to meet his family and of particular interest is his mother who gives a beautiful portrayal of how Christians can rely on their faith and their God to travel with them through life’s difficulties.
This was the second book in a series. I read the first one a few years ago. WWll story of spies, resistance fighters, cruelty. But through it all, their devotion to freedom and to their fellow countrymen. Inspiring.
I learned about the war brides of WWII, which was very interesting.
The book was long, but the story was so good. I was captivated by the characters. Every time I thought it would go one way it went another. Highly recommend this book.
Vert interesting facts about the time period immediately after the war and how it must have been for those affected by it.
This is the second in the series. Loved both books.
I enjoyed reading the history of WWII about a newlywed couple surviving the aftermath of the war.
Very true to life
I enjoyed the historical view from WWII
Loved this book. It’s a sequel. Be sure to read the first one too.
Excellent story that gives insight to the experiences of the war brides after World War II. Very educational and interesting.
I was never a good history student so as an adult I’ve been educating myself through period fiction. I enjoyed the history as much as the continuance of the story of the main characters. It was very thoughtfully written, the characters well developed, and I was sorry to see it end.
Very insightful to the wartime and what our soldiers and their war brides went through to be together in the USA.
I finished reading Of Windmills and War, the first book by Diane Moody, and immediately downloaded this one. I enjoy WWII novels and these were both well-researched and covering a slightly different angle on the times, full of tidbits that fit in naturally with the plot line.